Smaragdine
by bxrdybxrd
Summary: The Old Gods have granted Ned Stark a child out of time, and his arrival may just add more fuel to the flames..


ATTN: I do not own this universe, just characters I insterted because I couldn't be bothered to check who is whom.

* * *

Lord Stark of Winterfell was displeased at the situation. The Lannisters, according to his spies, were pushing for Joffrey to lead Westeros with Tywin Lannister as hand of the king. He has never doubted the man's skill to fill the kingdom's coffers with gold, nor his ability to bring down cities to its knees. Ned Stark's problem was only that Tywin would not see justice done if his children were involved.

He had been quiet, waiting for the right opportunity to lay out his plans. The King's council had the impression that he knew nothing of politics and false camaraderie with potential enemies. However, Ned was very much aware of the game he's supposed to be playing at court. He wouldn't be a Lord of the North otherwise, no matter how his older brother was supposed to be ruling in his stead.

Ned shook his head to clear off unwanted memories. He was headed to the Godswood, the only place he thought that compensated for the stench of King's Landing. A little bit or reprieve with all the chaos going on around him.

The face on the Godswood tree seemed more weathered from his tree in Winterfell. It's features held a strong nose and lips parted as if the tree was breathing it's last. Ned warily approached the pale tree, kneeling down in front of it. He asked for guidance and protection for his family. He wished for Sansa, his eldest daughter, to see reason and think for herself rather than cater to a mad queen and her equally mad son's whims. There was worry for Arya too, but Ned was sure of his youngest daughter's resilience.

The wind picked up, making Ned look up from the ground. A mist was slowly creeping up the roots, engulfing him at waist level.

"What is..." Ned trailed off, standing up to observe the creeping mist surrounding the Godswood. There was a humming that sounded too far away, like a distant memory, but it was loud in Ned Stark's mind.

 _Ned Stark of Winterfell..._

Ned Stark frowned, unnerved by the happenings, but stood still as the next message was relayed to the Lord of the North.

 _A child shall be your ward, scorned and abused by blood family, burdened with the world. Protect him with all your might and a boon fit for a king shall be given to you..._

"Who is this child you speak of, and where can I find him?" Ned Stark asked the tree, frowning in concern of the said child. Family was very important to the Northern lord, and the idea of a family so hateful towards a child made his blood boil.

 _Be warned of his potential, Ned Stark. Greater than any fire spewed by the dragons of old, he can make a kingdom prosper or bring it down to its knees... Take care of him Lord Stark. His survival will tip the balance of a war... Beware of his potential..._

"He is but a child. No one shall harm him if he is to be under my wing. Now where is this child you speak of?" Ned told the tree. He was getting impatient, worry filled thoughts plaguing him. If the child was hurt, he would need him looked after immediately.

The tree had not responded, instead, the thick mist parted to reveal a boy, not more than two name days. The babe's breath hitched then cried, a wail of anguish and distress that Ned had never heard from any child. Ned had already unlatched his cloak fastening and wrapped it around the wailing babe.

"What is his name?" Ned asked the tree, eyes still fixed at the baby in his arms.

 _Harry Potter..._

And as the tree said the child's name, Ned Stark stared at bright green eyes and thought this might be a problem.

* * *

Not long after the tree had stopped talking and the mist had dispersed from the Godswood, Ned Stark called his trusted servants and ordered them to hide Harry Potter.

"Ser Jenor, we shall keep this babe safe. He has features that could topple the current rulers of Westeros." Ned said grimly. He looked pointedly at Harry again and at Ser Jenor. "Gather all our things right away, and have the Septa collect Sansa and Arya. We're leaving King's Landing."

Ser Jenor looked at the bundle in his lord's arms. Raven black hair peeked through the fur, aristocratic features and green eyes, brighter than any Lannisters. As Ned Stark's most trusted servant nodded, the Northern lord passed over the observing child. Harry eyed his surroundings, and only keened once in a while.

"Yes, my lord."

Ned Stark hurried to the tower of the Hand of the King. His legs strained as he ran up several flights of stairs until he reached his quarters. Two servants he brought from Winterfell were already packing up.

"Naya, only pack the necessary things. If the books are too heavy, leave them. Knowledge can wait when we are safe in Winterfell."

The servant nodded and discarded things from their bags. Ned walked up to his solar and looked out the tower. In the distance, his guards were already escorting Arya and Sansa towards the gates, leading to the roads away from King's Landing. As quickly as he could, Ned took a bag from his servant and from the main stairwell, faced a wall on the third floor.

"Stark, King of the North." He intoned to a small hole in the sandstone. To his servants surprise, stone grated against stone and a gap filled with darkness appeared to the Northerners. It was wide enough for a man like Ned Stark to slip through, and he beckoned his servants to follow him.

The passage was not something he had planned on using anytime soon. Long before Robert had a son with Cersei, now uncovered as a lie, Jon Arryn had made this passage done in secret. His foster lord had predicted that he would become Hand one day, and because the Lord of the Vale was careful and wary of the snakes in the capital, he had built a series of tunnels for Ned should harm ever come to him.

Ned scoffed. Not even a fortnight as Hand, a problem had already arisen. He couldn't fault the little babe that had been the catalyst to his untimely escape. It had been at the back of his mind to leave King's Landing because of the foul people surrounding his daughters.

His two servants hurry after him, following him through the sound of his feet and feeling the rough stone walls to guide them outside. Once Ned had reached what seemed to be the end of the passage, he beckoned to his servants.

"Gulwein, Naya, we must drop ourselves here. I will catch you when I am through."

It turned out that he didn't need to catch either servants. Ser Jenor was waiting below the passage's exit, helping Ned up when he stumbled from his drop. The knight called two squires who helped the women servants out of the tunnel.

"My daughters?" Ned asked the knight.

"Lady Sansa has complained but I have told her it was on your orders. She has ceased any protests since then." Ser Jenor said. "Lady Arya was no trouble at all. She has seen the babe, Harry, but hasn't voiced any questions. I figure she will start once she sees you, my lord."

Ned nodded and thanked the knight.

"Let us go then. I figure spies will be after us once they have realized we are gone."

* * *

"Is he a Lannister, Father?" Were Arya's first words to Ned Stark once their party had taken a road towards the North.

Ned wondered for a moment what to tell his daughter. Sansa was sporting a curious gaze at the babe cradled in Naya's arms. He pursed his lips, settling for an answer.

"He does look like one, doesn't he?" Ned ran a hand across his hair, feeling the fatigue from having so many things revealed to him in the past week. "I will tell you now that he is no Lannister, and not an ordinary child either. Now I need you two to keep this to yourselves about how he came to be or where he's from. Even I do not know the child's full history. All I know is that he was not wanted by his family."

Ned hesitated telling them of _where_ exactly he came from, or out of.

"Will you foster him like Theon then?" Sansa asked, her face wearing a hopeful expression instead of the frown she had not a moment ago. Ned looked down at Harry, green eyes peering at everyone in the carriage. He wondered about that. The child seemed observant, and made barely any noise. He could argue that Jon made so much noise when he was a babe, but grew up to be a quiet lad. Ned shook his head. Certain circumstances made his son as silent as he was now.

"Aye, I will. Perhaps make him a Stark as well." Ned told his daughters. He was immediately met with a pair of grins. He smiled at the girls.

"And here I thought you had enough of Bran and Rickon."

"But they're not this babe!" Arya protested, having switched places with another servant to ogle the child in Naya's arms. "His eyes are much brighter than a Lannister's. His wild hair is funny as well. I think I will like him as a brother."

"What will we tell Mother?" Sansa asked, as entranced by the babe as Arya.

"I will tell her the same."

A/N: Fin. jk.


End file.
